Cultural Hybridity in Traditional Politics and Traditional Medicine in Ghana

This study investigates hybrid cultures of the people of the Atwima Nwabiagya District of the Ashanti region of Ghana and the various ways by which these hybrid cultures have promoted local development in the areas of traditional medicine and traditional political system in the district. The study is based on the assumption that the culture of the people of Atwima Nwabiagya, and some other foreign cultures have intermingled to create a hybrid of cultures which are being used to promote local development in the district. The research also proceeds on the grounds that current cultural practices of the people of Atwima Nwabiagya are predominantly hybrid in form and any discussion of the socio-economic development issues of the district must be approached from the perspective of cultural hybridity. The literature review reveals some important theories upon which the investigations are conducted. These theories include writings on the transformation of culture, cultural hybridity, and development and in totality indicate that cultures that are transformed through cultural loss, acculturation, adaptation, and/or replacement lead to the new form of cultures that are termed as hybrid. The study was conducted using a mixed method approach with descriptive research method driving the research. Data collection instruments used for the research include interviews, participant observations of some cultural performances and analysis of some administrative and historical documents. Purposive sampling procedure was used for the selection of twenty five respondents who were very knowledgeable in the phenomenon investigated by the researchers. Data in the form of photographs of some selected hybrid products were collected to complement the analysis of the phenomenon under study. The findings show that the prevalence of hybrid cultural practices in the political and health sectors in the district. The research also shows that the development agenda of the district is spurred by the existence and engagement of hybrid cultural practices. Based on the data obtained and the analysis conducted, the study validates the assumption that the promotion of local development in the Atwima Nwabiagya District is a consequence of the prevalence of a hybrid of foreign cultures and the local culture of the people of Atwima Nwabiagya district in Ghana. Keywords: Hybridity, Culture, Traditional Medicine, Traditional Politics, Atwima Nwabiagya Distric

Performing Agency - Contemporary Burlesque and the Feminist Gaze

Building off Laura Mulvey’s theories on the male gaze as well as bell hooks’ theories on the oppositional gaze and Indigenous scholars Carla Rice et al.’s research on the anti-colonial gaze, this paper will define the feminist gaze as an active and informed rejection of the objectifying and power-hungry white, heteropatriarchal, male gaze. Performances done through or for the feminist gaze can be interpreted as empowered and done primarily for the self, in order to activate and engage with one’s agency and subjecthood. Through analysis of the work of two burlesque performers, Miss Paige and Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière, the feminist gaze can be understood as an active refusal and disentanglement of the male gaze, which constricts women, femmes, and queer people to the role of passive object, providing the performer with opportunities to construct new, intersectional ways of seeing and being that center the self and one’s own agency. Contemporary burlesque uses this feminist gaze to create performances that allow the performer to reject this way of being seen by others and find their own empowerment and agency through a performance of their sexuality that is done for themselves, to resist oppression and celebrate their own pleasure

Reviewing Positions

All the materials related to reviewing and updating position description

Rebuilding the Nest: An Inside Look at the KSU Libraries’ Reorganization (Slides)

The slides for the panel presentation Rebuilding the Nest: An Inside Look at the KSU Libraries’ Reorganization , originally presented at Georgia Libraries Conference (GLC) and Society of Georgia Archivists Annual Meeting 2024

Updating the Org Chart

A selection of materials related to reviewing and updating the Library organization chart

Education and social care predictors of offending trajectories: A UK administrative data linkage study

Objectives The age-crime curve indicates that criminal behaviour peaks in adolescence and decreases in adulthood, but longitudinal studies suggest that this curve conceals distinct patterns of (re)-offending or trajectories. Some trajectories (e.g., life course persistent offenders) are reported to have distinct risk factors and more negative outcomes than others (e.g., adolescent limited offenders). Methods The current study had two main objectives: (1) To use UK administrative crime data to identify trajectories of (re)-offending; and (2) To prospectively identify (re)-offending trajectories using longitudinal administrative education and social care data. This project uses linked UK administrative data containing the anonymised education and social care records for individuals born between September 1985 and August 1999, which have been linked to later official crime records up to the end of 2017. To identify offending trajectories, we used information on offence type, age of first conviction/caution, age of last recorded conviction/caution and offending history at three age points (Juvenile: 10-17 years; Young adult: 18-20 years; Adult: 21-32 years). Results Latent Class Analyses with and without ‘Gender’ and ‘Ever served a custodial sentence’ as covariates was conducted to identify trajectories of (re)-offending. We are currently developing statistical models to see if we can use prospective longitudinal education and social care factors to discriminate between these trajectories. In my talk, I will share findings on the offending trajectories identified and present some early results on the key education and social care drivers of the offending trajectories. Conclusion Findings from this study has the potential to provide deeper insights into how these education and social care factors might affect (re)-offending patterns. This could inform education, social care and criminal justice system responses to offending behaviours which seek to reduce offending and its associated social and economic costs

First report of Lyme borreliosis leading to cardiac bradydysrhythmia in two cats

Case series summary:Two cats were presented for investigation of bradyarrhythmia detected by their referring veterinarians during routine examination. Both cats had extensive investigations, including haematology, serum biochemistry with electrolytes and thyroxine concentrations, systolic blood pressure measurement, echocardiography, electrocardiography and infectious disease testing. Infectious disease testing included serology for Toxoplasma gondii, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi, and PCR for B burgdorferi antigen in both cats. Case 1 was also assessed by PCR for Bartonella henselae antigen and case 2 was assessed for Dirofilaria immitis by serology. All infectious disease tests, other than for B burgdorferi, were negative. Case 1 was diagnosed with Lyme carditis based on marked bradydysrhythmia, positive B burgdorferi serology, a structurally normal heart and clinical resolution with appropriate treatment with a 4-year follow-up. Case 2 was diagnosed with Lyme carditis based on marked bradydysrhythmia and positive B burgdorferi PCR; however, this cat had structural heart disease that did not resolve with treatment. Relevance and novel information:This small case series describes two B burgdorferi positive cats presenting with newly diagnosed cardiac abnormalities consistent with those found in humans and dogs with Lyme carditis. Both cats were asymptomatic as perceived by their owners; the arrhythmia was detected by their veterinarians

Investigating homicide offender typologies based on their clinical histories and crime scene behaviour patterns

The purpose of this paper is to identify offender typologies based on aspects of the offenders’ psychopathology and their associations with crime scene behaviours using data derived from the National Confidential Enquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health concerning homicides in England and Wales committed by offenders in contact with mental health services in the year preceding the offence (n=759). The authors used multiple correspondence analysis to investigate the interrelationships between the variables and hierarchical agglomerative clustering to identify offender typologies. Variables describing: the offenders’ mental health histories; the offenders’ mental state at the time of offence; characteristics useful for police investigations; and patterns of crime scene behaviours were included. Results showed differences in the offenders’ histories in relation to their crime scene behaviours. Further, analyses revealed three homicide typologies: externalising, psychosis and depression. These typologies may assist the police during homicide investigations by: furthering their understanding of the crime or likely suspect; offering insights into crime patterns; provide advice as to what an offender’s offence behaviour might signify about his/her mental health background. Findings suggest information concerning offender psychopathology may be useful for offender profiling purposes in cases of homicide offenders with schizophrenia, depression and comorbid diagnosis of personality disorder and alcohol/drug dependence. Empirical studies with an emphasis on offender profiling have almost exclusively focussed on the inference of offender demographic characteristics. This study provides a first step in the exploration of offender psychopathology and its integration to the multivariate analysis of offence information for the purposes of investigative profiling of homicide by identifying the dominant patterns of mental illness within homicidal behaviour.N/

‘Joining the Dots: Linking Prenatal Drug Exposure to Childhood and Adolescence’ – Research Protocol of a Population Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal drug exposure (PDE) is one of the most important causes of child harm, but comprehensive information about the long-term outcomes of the families is difficult to ascertain. The METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Information from routinely collected administrative databases was linked for all births registered in New South Wales (NSW), Australia between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2020 (n=1 834 550). Outcomes for seven mutually exclusive groups of children with varying prenatal exposure to maternal substances of addiction, including smoking, alcohol, prescription/illicit drugs and neonatal abstinence syndrome will be assessed. Key exposure measures include maternal drug use type, maternal social demographics or social determinants of health, and maternal physical and mental health comorbidities. Key outcome measures will include child mortality, academic standardised testing results, rehospitalisation and maternal survival. Data analysis will be conducted using Stata V.18.0. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approvals were obtained from the NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee (29 June 2020; 2019/ETH12716) and the Australian Capital Territory Health Human Research Ethics Committee (11 October 2021; 2021-1231, 2021-1232, 2021-1233); and the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (5 July 2022; 1824/21), and all Australian educational sectors: Board of Studies (government schools), Australian Independent Schools and Catholic Education Commission (D2014/120797). Data were released to researchers in September 2022. Results will be presented in peer-reviewed academic journals and at international conferences. Collaborative efforts from similar datasets in other countries are welcome

‘Joining the Dots: Linking Prenatal Drug Exposure to Childhood and Adolescence’ – Research Protocol of a Population Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal drug exposure (PDE) is one of the most important causes of child harm, but comprehensive information about the long-term outcomes of the families is difficult to ascertain. The METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Information from routinely collected administrative databases was linked for all births registered in New South Wales (NSW), Australia between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2020 (n=1 834 550). Outcomes for seven mutually exclusive groups of children with varying prenatal exposure to maternal substances of addiction, including smoking, alcohol, prescription/illicit drugs and neonatal abstinence syndrome will be assessed. Key exposure measures include maternal drug use type, maternal social demographics or social determinants of health, and maternal physical and mental health comorbidities. Key outcome measures will include child mortality, academic standardised testing results, rehospitalisation and maternal survival. Data analysis will be conducted using Stata V.18.0. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approvals were obtained from the NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee (29 June 2020; 2019/ETH12716) and the Australian Capital Territory Health Human Research Ethics Committee (11 October 2021; 2021-1231, 2021-1232, 2021-1233); and the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (5 July 2022; 1824/21), and all Australian educational sectors: Board of Studies (government schools), Australian Independent Schools and Catholic Education Commission (D2014/120797). Data were released to researchers in September 2022. Results will be presented in peer-reviewed academic journals and at international conferences. Collaborative efforts from similar datasets in other countries are welcome